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Websites Trump Social Media for Finding Holiday Deals

When searching for the best holiday deals, one-quarter (25%) of surveyed consumers say they prefer visiting brand websites over other channels such as print media (15%), email newsletters and notifications (13%), and Facebook (3%), according to a survey from Crowd Science.

Talking with friends and family (9%) also beats out social media channels for finding holiday deals; one-quarter (24%) of consumers have no preferred method for finding deals.

Despite record levels of online spending in 2011—US online holiday shopping reached a record $37.2 billion, up 15% over 2010 levels, according to comScore—most (38%) consumers planned to spend roughly the same amount on holiday shopping overall during the season; 33% planned to spend less and only 21% planned to spend more on holiday buying in 2011.

The holidays are not a favorite time to venture into stores.

Nearly one-half (47%) of consumers disagreed with the statement "The holidays are my favorite time to shop in person," whereas 15% agreed. Such negative sentiment was more pronounced as time progressed, with disagreement climbing from 45% before Thanksgiving, to 49% as the holidays approached.

Nearly one-quarter (23%) of consumers preferred conducting all of their holiday shopping online.

Even so, 20% of consumers said they worry about security when buying online. Such concerns were more pronounced among lighter Internet users (those using the Internet fewer than 24 hours per week) than their more experienced counterparts. Those age 24 or younger were less inclined than older shoppers to prefer online shopping for the holidays.

Whether they shop in person or online, 17% of consumers admitted to doing nearly all of their holiday shopping at the last minute. Women, however, were less likely than men to be last-minute shoppers (51% vs. 38%).

About the data: Findings from Crowd Science's study are based on a survey of 5,301 consumers, performed in two waves over the extended holiday season, from November 16 to December 29, 2011.

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